Endings And Beginnings
by Ann65
Summary: A tag to the last episode of season nine, where our favourite purser heads off to his new life in Minikulu. He and Julie have gone their separate ways - but Fate is determined to bring them together.


Hello again, and welcome to story number three! The weather's been awful during my week's leave, but staying indoors has given me_ lots_ of writing time!

Thanks to CBS Drama, I've now seen every episode, on what's been the first ever full series run that's been shown in the UK. It's been a wonderful trip too, and brought back many happy memories. I still love Gopher as much now as I did when I was... well, let's just say _much_ younger.

The final episode saw his final appearance - which, as you can imagine, was a bit of a wrench. With that, the speeches that Fred Grandy wrote himself to say goodbye to the cast, and Captain Stubing's wedding, I was a bawling wreck.

I always hoped that he and Julie would get together, and I was so disappointed that it didn't happen in the series. So with a bit of my own backstory for them both, here's my idea on how they finally recognize what the rest of Team Stubing has known for years. They were meant to be together - even if it takes them a while to get there!

Enjoy!

* * *

Endings And Beginnings

"And this, my boy, is your new office. A bit on the small side, I'm afraid, but it has a rather nice view from its balcony here."

Steered onto it before he could reply, Gopher stole a glance around him, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. _This_ was his office? His _small_ office? He could fit his old apartment into it, and still have room to spare.

And that view! Cruising around the world, he'd seen some stunners in his time, but this was just - wow! It did in nine seconds what Merrill Stubing hadn't managed to do in nine years. It left him speechless.

Still thrilled at hiring one of the most gifted managers he'd ever met, Slade Collins had no such trouble. While Gopher continued to take it all in, his excitement for his new flagship was enough for them both.

"Yes, my boy, we're on the cusp of something special here, and I have every faith in you that you can make it happen. You have a gift for management, Gopher, that I've very rarely found in others. An intuition for what people_ really_ want. You know how times are changing, and how resorts like mine need to change with them. As other resorts fail, _we'll_ succeed. We're going to work so wonderfully together, my boy, and it all starts at eight o'clock tomorrow. Now, I'll leave you to settle in, and I'll see you in the morning!"

As the door closed behind him, Gopher couldn't help but shake his head as he again stared around the biggest 'small' office he'd ever seen.

"Yeah, I might have found my desk by then."

It didn't take him that long, of course. A fully equipped suite of table, chair and storage drawers lay just to his left, while more cabinets of finest mahogany lined the wall to his right.

Newly polished, too. He could still smell the fragrance of best quality wax - and see his face on their surface.

Further along, he found a bar that Isaac would have sold his soul for. Resisting the temptation of finest brandy - though God knew, he felt like he needed it - he poured himself a mug of coffee, and took it with him while he continued to explore his new surroundings.

Luxurious didn't even start to describe them. He had a closet bigger than his old cabin, just for his clothes. His en suite didn't just have a tiled and screened shower, but a bath too - and way beyond full sized too. Damn, he could go for a swim in it!

Opening another door took his breath away all over again. A meeting room? He had his own _meeting room_?!

There were more personal touches, too, that made him smile in wistful gratitude. A stunning model of the Princess, and a pedestal globe to remind him of all the places she'd taken him. And yes, they looked fine where they were, but - well, this was _his_ office, right? Surely his new business partner wouldn't mind if he moved things around a bit?

Five minutes later, his Princess took pride of place on his shiny new desk, her globe stationed in spinnable reach beside her. Ah, yes. _Much_ better.

His decor adjustments complete, Gopher returned to the balcony that overlooked his new kingdom. For a moment, he felt like the master of all he surveyed. But beyond all the bright white guest suites, glistening swimming pools, lush green woodland, and as yet untouched beaches, his eyes were drawn further beyond them all. Right out to the horizon, across miles and miles of endless blue.

Sipping his coffee, he savoured the beauty of a still pristine ocean. It was the same, peaceful calmness that he'd fallen in love with all those years ago, when his father had taken him to his first Navy Day.

To an eight year old boy, it had opened up a whole new world - and brought a lifelong love into his heart. Ships. Ships of every size, and every kind. Big ships. Little ships. Then he'd seen the carriers, dwarfing everything else around them, and he'd lost his heart completely. They weren't just big ships, but _giant_ ships - with_ planes_ on them. Whole cities at sea, that could take you all around the world, and show you its countless wonders.

To a father still struggling to connect with his son, it had been a momentous day too. He'd finally found some kind of common ground between them. For the first time in too long a time, his boy had looked up at him with those big brown eyes, and smiled at him like he smiled at his mother.

The happiest smiles of all, though, had come when he saw more of those kings of the sea. Over hot dogs and ice cream, Elliott Smith had made his son an offer he was too smitten to refuse.

"_You like these ships, Burl? If you do as your mother tells you, and eat up all your greens, you'll grow big enough to go work on them_. _Like I used to do_."

It hadn't quite gone that way, of course. In spite of eating all the greens his mother could cook for him, that growth spurt he'd yearned for had never happened. Too short to follow in his father's Naval footsteps, he'd had to find another way onto the waves, in one of those big, beautiful ships.

His applications for college had given him an option that, in truth, he'd never considered. Hospitality management? Yes, it would make the most of his love of helping people, but - working in a hotel? Would that really suit the boy who'd set his heart on sailing the sea?

Then he'd seen where such a qualification could take him, and he'd ticked the box without bothering to read further. With the right training, and dedication, and willingness to learn its trade from the very lowest rank, working as a purser on a cruise ship had brought his dream back to life again.

It hadn't been easy. Such long, hard study hadn't always suited his fun-loving nature. There'd been so many distractions. Girls. Frat parties. Girls. Pranks. Jokes. More girls. And, yes - of course he'd missed his mom too. But still the sea had kept calling him - and he'd been determined to do whatever it took to get there.

Four years later, he'd returned to San Diego, with maybe a bit too much of Rick Martin's arrogance rubbed off on him. He thought he knew everything he needed for the career he'd chosen to take. He had his degree, after all. Surely the world was his oyster now?

How wrong he'd been. And being sick all over your new Captain's shoes had been the worst possible start.

Yet there'd been another side to Merrill Stubing that had struck an especially poignant chord. Beyond the gruff, humourless exterior was a kinder, more fatherly warmth, that had made the difference against his own father all the more apparent.

His crew had thought the world of him, too. Still trying to find his place among them, Gopher had listened to the advice that his older, and wiser, mentor had given him.

"_Take it from me, Gopher, he's the best Captain this fleet has. Do your best for him, and he'll do his best for you_."

Even if he hadn't believed it at the time, Isaac had been absolutely right. Even when he messed up, a fatherly smile had still eased the frustration of those first week nerves.

"_You're still learning the job, Mr Smith. I don't mind if you make a mistake... just so long as you learn from it_..."

And learn he did. All the things that four years of college classes couldn't teach him. Too eager to please mistakes decreased from several a day, to just one a week. Rebukes for his clumsiness turned to praise for his determination to not let it happen again.

In return, he saw more and more of his Captain's nods of approval. What he lacked in experience, he more than made up for with his natural affinity with the passengers he'd been trained to serve. The faith that Merrill Stubing had put in his potential had started to pay off.

Five weeks on from that less than ideal first day, the tide had started to turn. As his confidence grew, so did the bonds of new friendships. Isaac and Doc became the big brothers he needed to keep him out of trouble. Writing home to his mother, he knew she'd approve of the new family he'd now found to support him.

Yes, he'd needed to curb his ebullience at times, but slowly, and surely, it had won his Captain over too. When he'd ordered him to get a haircut, it had come with a twinkle in his eye that hadn't been there before.

A playful wink had sealed it. He wasn't just part of Merrill Stubing's crew now, he was part of his family. Sailing the world with them, his dream had come true. A dream that had lasted for nine wonderful years.

Still smiling at the memory, Gopher took another deep breath of fresh ocean air, and let it calm away the pangs he'd just felt. He'd expected them, of course. You couldn't spend all that time with people you loved so much, and not feel one hell of a wrench when you left them.

For once, though, the sea failed to weave her magic to settle him down. Something else drew him back to his desk, and the photo he'd already placed there.

It was the same photo that he'd sat with in his cabin, tracing his finger over the faces that he was about to leave behind. With the same bittersweet smile, the same finger ran over them now.

His Captain, and surrogate father. His two best friends, and surrogate brothers. Vicki, who'd grown in front of proud eyes from little kid sister to beautifully independent young woman. Ace, who'd taken on the mantle of the job he'd loved so much, and who'd make a damn fine job of it too.

And Judy. Every bit as spirited as her sister. And, as he'd told her, sometimes too much of a reminder of the only girl who'd ever truly stolen his heart.

Julie. _Julie_.

When he'd last seen her, she'd gone back to Marty again, to try one last time to save her marriage. From the letter that had arrived just before he left Los Angeles, it was still proving a 'challenge.' How different things might have been, he thought, if he'd just fought that little bit harder to take her away from it.

All too late now, of course. Too late to change the past. And, he realized, too late to change the present. Too late to change his mind,_ again_, over a decision that had taken him away from everything, and everyone, he loved.

Glancing once more around him, the smile on his face faded, then disappeared completely. If this was paradise, why didn't it feel like it? And for such a luxuriously furnished office, why did it suddenly feel so empty?

* * *

She hadn't changed a bit. She was still so beautiful, so sleek and elegant. Princess by name, and very much Princess by nature.

All beauty aside, though, Julie hadn't come all the way here to admire the ship she'd once served on so proudly. Instead, her eyes swung to where her docking bridge was extending into place, and... yes, not long now, before she could finally get to them. Or, rather, him.

God, she missed him. Her best and closest friend, who'd seen her through all her darkest times. Losing Jack to another woman, and Tony to a death that had come too cruelly soon.

Next week, he'd be leaving her forever, to start his new life and new career. This would be the last time she'd see him for... no, she really didn't want to think about that. With everything that had happened over the past week, how was she going to face its repercussions without him?

How could she have been so stupid, to think she'd be able to repair a hopelessly broken marriage? Why hadn't she listened to her closest friend, listened to her own heart, and left her self centred husband while she had the chance? Why had she gone back to him? Into a nightmare that she'd feared might happen, and that now actually had?

Luckily, the bruises had faded now, but the damage was done. All hope was gone. With just her purse and the clothes on her back, she'd run out of the house onto the street outside, and flagged down the cab that was mercifully driving past at the time.

The driver hadn't even asked where she wanted to go. As soon as he saw the blood on her lip, he'd floored the gas pedal, and driven her straight to the nearest police station. Free of charge. And since he'd been about to go off the clock anyway, he'd stayed with her through the worst experience of her life.

Angelo. Yes, that was his name. And what an angel he'd been, staying with her all through the trauma of filling out that report. Still in shock, she'd struggled to believe the title that headed it, let alone write through its pages. Assault And Battery By Spouse.

There'd been no hesitation, though, on the action she wanted to take against him. She'd just prayed the police would get to him before he could evade them. When she heard they'd found him in the same drunken heap that she'd left him in, she'd collapsed with relief. Safely free of him, she'd sat in Angelo's arms, and cried herself empty.

Refuge had come from another angel. Assuming her son had mixed up his time zones again, Roz Smith had answered the phone all ready to tease him. Thirty minutes later, she'd marched through Precinct 14's lobby with such a murderous glare on her face that even the desk sergeant had backed away from her.

In a safe place where he would never think to look for her, she'd cried herself to sleep in her surrogate mother's arms. Pleaded with her not to tell a son who'd risk arrest himself in his blind rage to avenge her.

Knowing it was the right decision for both of them, Roz had agreed to honour her wishes. Her boy had the sweetest nature imaginable, but if anyone dared to cross it, or threaten someone he cared about, she knew pure dynamite lay beneath it.

Julie knew it too. She'd only seen Gopher lose his temper once. That first time in Acapulco, when one of the locals had backed her into a corner, and refused to take 'no' for an answer. However grateful she'd been that he'd done so to protect her, the fury in his eyes had still been a frightening thing to see.

Reading the inevitable complaint against him, Merrill Stubing had stared at it in the same disbelief. His loveable little purser, inciting an assault against an innocent bystander?

After hearing her far more believable account of what had happened, he'd called Gopher into his office. Not to fire him, as that drunken bum had demanded, but to offer him a proud pat on the back, and a father's heartfelt thanks.

How ironic, then, that in the time of her greatest need, she didn't dare call him to help her. Instead, she'd taken her own revenge against her still safely incarcerated husband.

With Roz at her side, she'd returned to the house she'd fled from the previous night - no longer a victim, but a livid with fury survivor. Within an hour, she'd collected the rest of her clothes, and tossed his in the trash. Called their phone company, and had their number disconnected. Changed the locks. Turned the prison he'd kept her in for all those months into a fortress that he'd never set foot in again.

By the time she'd cleared out their bank account, and told her attorney to file for divorce, her revenge was complete. With everything in her favour, she'd be a free and single woman again in just three months.

In Roz's proud eyes, she'd done everything right. So why, then, did she feel such a failure? Why did she feel so bitter? That all the joy and happiness she'd seen from so many others had, yet again, passed her by?

The hustle of approaching crowds brought her out of thoughts that, in truth, she didn't want to stay in any longer. Instead, she took a deep breath, pasted on that famous smile, and started walking past them. Past all the puzzled stares and '_what the hell's she doing_?' glances, to where he'd be seeing his passengers off with that adorably cheery grin.

Except - no. Through the last of those waiting to leave, she could see Doc. Isaac. The beaming smile of her Captain. But not the person she needed the most to see.

Even then, she didn't worry. As chief purser, he had so many other duties now, especially when they came back to port, and -

"_Julie_! _You made it_!"

Still not the voice she'd hoped to hear, but there was no time for her to think about that. The first to see her, Doc was already wrapping her into a tight hug, that soon became a mass of other arms around her.

Yet still she kept peering over their shoulders, trying to find him, and -

"If you're looking for him, honey, then I'm sorry, you've just missed him. He flew out to Minikulu just before we left to help Slade get ready for its grand opening. He's already gone."

\- within Doc's apology and explanation, her mind seized on the three that had made the most devastating impact.

Missed him?

Gone?

_Gone_?

For once misreading the shock on her face, Doc's next words merely hammered the final nail through her heart.

"Yeah, he kept trying to call you, but... well, I guess you were having some kind of trouble with your phone..."

Staring back at them, Julie felt her entire world implode around her. He'd left already? She'd come all this way so he could hold her, and comfort her through the worst experience she'd ever faced - and it was all for nothing?

Her head now shook in utter despair. More 'if onlys' swept through a mind that couldn't bring itself to accept them.

If only she'd left him sooner. If only she'd had the courage to go back to the far better friend she'd left behind. So kind, and generous, and loyal, she should have known from the start that only her lovable Gopher had ever truly loved her.

And now she'd lost him again, to a new life too far away for her to have any hope that she'd ever be a part of it. No more letters. No more calls at two in the morning, knowing he'd be there to listen, and give her that shoulder to cry on.

"...in fact, we're flying out there tomorrow, and... well, forgive me if I'm wrong, Julie, but I'm guessing you want to see him as much as we do."

Then she caught the end of what Doc was telling her, and she found herself smiling too. Then laughing. Then crying. Unstoppable tears of joy, and relief, and - hell, more emotions than she could count.

Oblivious to the puzzled glances around her, she didn't care about the concern beyond them. All she needed right now were the arms that had slipped around her, as an even more comforting thought brought her world back together again.

Even if her marriage was now hopelessly lost to her, _he_ wasn't.

The dream lived on.

* * *

This new life was changing him already. The Gopher Smith of old would have thought of this brilliant idea _before_ its opportunity slipped away.

Too late now, though. The camera he'd used for all those promotional films and photos still sat on his desk - too far out of his reach to capture this priceless line of open mouthed faces. Standing alongside him, four of his closest friends currently looked more like four stunned goldfish.

"Good lord!"

"Wow!"

"I'm gonna need more film."

"Yeah, I've gotta say it, kiddo... you've made it. And how!"

Recalling the first time he'd seen this incredible view, Gopher grinned back at them - its brightness as endearing to his Captain now as it had been nine years ago. If ever there was a time for a fatherly hug that he was already missing, this was it.

"I'd have to agree, Gopher. No doubt about it, my boy. You have _definitely_ made it."

"Yes, sir. It's... ah, not a bad view to see first thing in the morning."

Staring out at it himself, the smile on his face widened, with all the pride that his little piece of paradise deserved. The resort's opening had gone beyond all his, and Slade's,expectations. Bookings for the rest of that year were already full, and every travel agency back home had its brochures stacked on their shelves.

Yet in spite of all that, the first thought he'd had was to call home, and invite everyone he loved to share one of his finest moments. Except, he now more sadly realized, not everyone had managed it.

"And speaking of making it, I'm... uh, guessing Judy and Vicki couldn't? I mean, I know Mom and Jennifer are catching a later flight, but..."

Unseen behind him, a trade of grins matched their equally knowing glances. That eight hour journey had given them plenty of time to cook up a little surprise for their little entrepreneur, and... three... two... one...

"Oh yes, they could."

"And look who managed to catch the same flight."

"Oh, my God! _Mom_! _Jen_! _Julie_!"

*CLICK*

'_Aww, damn it, Ace! That's my trick_!'

Yes, the old Gopher Smith was _definitely_ slipping. But even when hoist by his own petard, he really didn't care. As soon as those hands came off his shoulders, he was off like a puppy after its favourite ball - running to them at such speed that he almost skittled his own mother.

Somewhere in that huddle of arms, though, another surprise that had been revealed on the same flight remained hidden. Thankfully unseen, a far more serious conspiracy than the one they'd just sprung on him was agreed, through another trade of more sober glances. When the time was right, he _would_ be told.

Not now, though. On such a perfect day as this, none of them could ruin one of the happiest moments of his life.

* * *

He knew. All through the tour he'd promised them, Julie could feel him watching her, with more of a frown on his face than the happiness he should have been feeling. Even when he did smile, it didn't touch his eyes.

You didn't serve as a ship's purser for nine years, either, without being damn good at math. Putting two and two together, Gopher had worked out its solution long before his own eyesight had clinched it.

No wedding ring. Not even on her other hand. And no personally made engagement ring either.

So then - that was it. After giving him more chances than he'd deserved, her marriage to Marty Chenault was over. As the true friend he was, his concern for her far outweighed any thought he'd had to exploit the opportunity it gave him.

There was more going on here, too, that everyone except him seemed to know about. The glances towards her were happening a bit too often. The over-compensating brightness that had given her away before was being hidden a bit too well.

And how much did his mother know? From the way she'd stuck like glue to her side since they'd arrived - yeah, a_ lot_ more than he did. An anxiously hovering mother, even one that wasn't your own, was never a good sign.

Luckily, there were plenty of distractions in this now troubled paradise for him to find out what it was. With Doc and Isaac engaged in a friendly battle of tennis, their Captain doing his best to umpire, Ace let loose with his camera, and Vicki and Judy hitting the shops with his mother, sister, and Emily, that left the perfect seclusion of Ku'u Lei Cove for him.

Since arriving on the island, it had become one of his favourite places. Off limits to their guests, it was the perfect place to come when he needed to wind down, or just enjoy its untouched beauty.

Iolana, his Head Chef, had told him how its name translated into My Beloved. With its heart shaped views over rocky crags and the ocean beyond, he'd had to agree. Ku'u Lei Cove suited its name perfectly.

Glancing down at the basket she'd made up for him, he then smiled. For all those jogs he took each day to keep in shape, she seemed equally determined to both adopt him, and fatten him up. He really didn't need his mother asking if he was looking after himself. Her Polynesian counterpart was seeing to that.

There was enough food in here to feed a small army! Rather a shame, then, that a telltale hitch in Julie's breathing swept all thought of his appetite from his mind. He barely had time to get to her side before the dam broke, and the tears she'd held back for so long burst through it. They poured out of her like a flood, with an anguish that tore at his heart.

She'd broken down before, of course, but - damn, never like this. And Gopher knew there was no point saying anything to her to comfort her, until she'd calmed down enough to hear it. So instead, he just held her, stroking back her hair, while trying to convince himself that his worst fears were unfounded. Under its curtain of curls, was that a bruise he'd just seen?

Gradually, the torrent against his shoulder slowed to the occasional sob, before they in turn faded into silence. Only then did he gently ease her away from him. Not completely - there was no way in hell that he'd do that - but just enough for him to cradle her face in his hands, and brush away the last of her tears.

She was too drained to talk yet, but that was fine. He'd say what had to be said on her behalf. And - very, very gently - he'd ask the question that he needed her to answer, before it drove him crazy with rage.

"I know it's over, Julie. Your letters told me that, and your wedding band's gone. And you know I'll do all I can to help you through this. But just tell me this one thing. Just _please_ tell me he didn't hurt you."

More than anything, Julie wished she could give him the answer his eyes were begging her for. But no - she just couldn't do it, or hide the truth from him any longer. And all she had to do to see how hard it hit him was to watch his eyes. Those kind and gentle eyes, and how they darkened from warmest brown to coldest black.

There was no explosion of temper that she'd dreaded, though. Just everything she needed him to do in that moment. Hold her closer, just _hold_ her, while assuring her that her brute of a husband couldn't reach her.

"Well, he won't find you here. I can promise you that. No-one could find you here, Julie. Except those who love you. So you're staying here for as long as you need to... okay?"

For several moments, Julie just stared at him. Coming from him, this offer was everything she'd always loved him for. Not just his generosity, but his willingness to move heaven and earth to help someone in trouble. So why was she turning down an offer that would give her everything she needed?

"But Gopher, I - I can't afford to stay here... I mean, it'd be different if I worked here, so I could pay my way, and... well, be more use to you than a paid guest, but..."

"Hey, if that's what you want, we can do that. I'm the boss, remember?"

Realizing it was a bit too soon to sound so cheerful, he then took a breath to settle himself down. Another, just to make sure, before turning her around to face him. When he spoke again, it was calmer. Quieter. As serious as he had to be to make his point again, until she'd accept it.

"When Slade offered me the job here, he said I could bring whoever I wanted with me. And not to make you feel like second place after Isaac, but... well, he turned it down. As far as I'm concerned, that puts _you_ top of the list. And like I said, he'll never find you here. You'll be safe here, Julie. He won't get anywhere near you."

For so many reasons, she still couldn't answer him. All she could do was nod, too overcome with relief to do anything except fall back into his arms.

Wrapped in such gentle comfort, she didn't see how his eyes had darkened again, their fury aimed across thousands of miles of ocean. Against the crash of its waves, nor did she hear the bitter whisper that followed it.

"You'd better be thanking God there's this ocean between us... 'cos if there wasn't, I'd find you... and I'd kill you."

* * *

The call came just after four in the morning - connecting at the exact same moment that Roz noticed the time. Yet she didn't feel too much sympathy for the sleepy voice that answered it. Payback, she decided, for all the times her boy had done it to her.

"'llo?"

Still grinning, if just at knowing how adorable he'd look right now, Roz answered him with a deliberately teasing glee.

"Hello, dear. Did I wake you?"

Silence, for all of two seconds, before the perfect mix of indignation and worry flew back at her.

"_Mom_? Do you have an-... I - I mean, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Okay, now she felt a bit guilty. Yes, his resort was a roaring success, but that had come from months of hard work. And with the distance between them, he was more her little boy now than ever before. So before he started to _really_ panic, it was time to get serious.

"Sorry, sweetheart. it's okay... really, I'm fine. I just wanted you and Julie to hear this as soon as I did."

That got his attention as fast as the hotel's fire alarm. Instead of vaulting out of bed, however, Gopher sat bolt upright. He'd waited almost three months for this moment, so - yes, it deserved every bit of his attention.

"The divorce? It's come through already?"

At the other end of the line, the grin on his mother's face turned to a frown. If she'd had her way, it would have happened a lot sooner, but - well, that didn't matter now. All that mattered was telling her son what he'd waited too damn long to hear.

"If you call twelve weeks already, then... yes, it has. I know how worried you both were when he said he'd contest it. That's why I've called you straight after Ellen called me."

He smiled at that. A wolf in attorney's clothing, Ellen Davis had gone after her prey with the wrath of all hell behind her. Yet something aside from the relief in his mother's voice caught even more of his attention. She sounded oddly... satisfied. As if she knew more about this than she was letting on.

He knew she'd hired a private detective to help prove their case against him. So when she spoke again, he'd already guessed what was coming.

"The worst thing that brute did was to hurt my girl, and... well, let's just say his _other_ ex wife came through for us too. Told him she'd give him living hell if he did to Julie what he did to her when _they_ got divorced."

Even with this reminder of what he'd done to her, the grin on Gopher's face still grew wider. After months of legal wrangling, she was finally free of him, and - yes, trust his mother to remind him of that too.

"So what are you waiting for, kid? Get out of that bed, and go get your girl!"

Laughing now, Gopher placed the phone back in its cradle, and took a moment to re-gather his thoughts. This would be the third time he'd tell her how much he loved her, but the first time that he'd ask her to marry him, and... _whoa_!

Was the Gopher of old getting a bit carried away here? Was this all moving a bit too fast? Not just for him, but for Julie too?

His own inner voice answered him. Gave him just the kick up the butt that he needed.

'_Too fast? You've waited nine years for this, you idiot! Now do as your mom says, and go get her!'_

He didn't so much 'get out of bed' as 'bounced' like a humanised Tigger. On such a special occasion - yes, his best shirt too. Not too garish, but enough to celebrate the traditions of the place he now called home.

Slipping it over his shoulders, he remembered another reason why he loved it so much. She'd bought it for him for his birthday, so - yes, for what he was going to ask her, it really was the perfect choice.

Now - the ring. From the plumeria band he'd bought for her birthday, he already knew her size, and - yes, being the boss around here _definitely_ had its benefits. He could get into the plaza long before its shops officially opened, and take his time to find something special.

Nothing too extravagant, though. Just enough for her to - please, God - say yes to, before she chose her own. So then, a simple but still beautiful band of scrolling waves. Perfect.

He knew the perfect place for them too. Back to Ku'u Lei Cove, for a much happier occasion than the first time she'd seen it.

Except he was the quiet one now, as he tried to get the most important speech of his life straight in his head. Kinda hard to do when all he could hear was the nervous pounding of his heart.

In the privacy of her room, he'd thought he'd gotten past the hardest part already. Telling her that her divorce had come through, and confirming it for her again as they'd walked through the sand.

Apparently not, though, and... breathe, Gopher. _Breathe_.

"So Goph... that's it. I'm finally free of him."

Pulled out of his thoughts, Gopher stared back at her. Yes, she was now legally free of her ex husband, but... was he imagining something else in her voice there? The same hope for the future? The same dream that he'd held, since the first day he'd met her?

Damn if his heart wasn't trying to break through his chest now. It took several moments of watching the waves ahead of them to calm him enough to answer her.

"Yeah, I... um, guess so. You can live the life you want now."

"Yes, Gopher. Yes, I can."

Eyes of perfect blue shone back at him. And still he was sure he saw something more within them. As if she was waiting, _hoping_, for him to make the next move.

Okay, here went nothing - and everything.

"There's nothing in my way now either. Everything I've ever wanted is right here, and... well, no. Not quite everything. I want to share it with the person who I've loved so much, for so long, and... Julie, I don't want you to help me run this place as my business partner any more. If - If it's what _you_ want, I want you to help me run it as my wife."

There. He'd said it, and... damn, had he said too much? Too little? Made it too much about him? Was that why she was staring at him like that, out of those impossibly wide eyes?

"Gopher, are - are you asking me what I _think_ you're asking me?"

The answer was written all over his face. All through those bright brown eyes, and that nervously hopeful smile. Oh, yes - he was asking her. Of course he was asking her, and... damn it! All those times he'd dreamed of this moment, and he'd forgot its most important part!

Better late than never, he then knelt in front of her. Fought down the lousiest time for his childhood stammer to return as he took her hands into his, and tried to get his voice over the giant lump in his throat.

"Julie, I know you've been through hell these last few months. And part of me hates myself for saying this now, when you're still so vulnerable, but..."

"Yes."

"...you know I'd never take advantage of you like that, and..."

"Gopher, I'm saying_ yes_..."

"...you know how much I love you... how much I've always loved you, and..."

"_Gopher_..."

"...not like that, y'know, that brother and sister thing we've always had, and..."

There was only one way to shut him up when he was as hyper as this. And Julie had to say, it was as enjoyable for her as it was for him. Effective, too. It was kinda hard to talk when someone was kissing your tonsils out.

By the time she let him up for air, his face was as red as the plumerias on his shirt. But not even being half suffocated could dim the pure joy in his eyes as he slipped that simple silver ring onto her finger.

"So, um... that's a yes?!"

"Yes, you idiot! Yes, yes... _YES_!"

Flattened by his new fiancée instead of a falling tree, he had to admit this was waaay better. And death by suffocation was still one hell of a way to go. But for Julie, a wholly different concern occurred to her as she glanced around them. A potential embarrassment, that was soothed away through a wickedly mischievous grin.

"It's okay, this is a private beach. It's closed to guests, so no-one will find us here. And I _do_ mean _no-one_."

With or without those waggling eyebrows, she didn't need any more convincing. And as joy, and love, and purest happiness took their inevitable course, he had to say too, while he was still able to think straight. Miss Julie McCoy (soon to be _Mrs_ Smith) _really_ knew how to celebrate.

If Slade had noticed all that sand and rumpled clothes when they returned to the hotel, he didn't make any comment. Besides, he was too thrilled with the proposal that Gopher had put to him to disapprove of how he'd celebrated the first.

"It's the perfect place for a wedding, right? And if you don't mind, sir, I'd like ours to be the first."

Almost pounding his shoulder out of its socket, Slade had given him his own emphatic acceptance, before rushing off to announce it to his investors.

"Oh, yes, my boy! Absolutely yes!"

Their staff, too, more family to them now than employees, were clearly as happy as they were. In fact, Gopher was sure he heard cheers of applause following them around the whole resort for the rest of the day.

Them. Not him. His partner in business was now his partner in life too. And after a night full of more celebrations, there was only one person he could call first, to break this most joyous of news.

Well, once he got his breath back, of course. And fended off more tickling of a _very_ ticklish spot.

"Hey, Mom?! We're... _aaaiiiiyyyeeeee_... getting... _gyyaaaaah_... married!"

"That's nice. But are you all right, dear? It sounds like you're getting a cold."

Hearing the laughter that answered her - not just her boy's, but more feminine giggles too - Roz found herself laughing too. And after waiting so long to hear it, what else could she say?

"Well, it's about time!"

* * *

He'd been right. If, in his dreams, he'd ever imagined the most perfect place to marry the woman he loved, this was it. The perfect place, for the perfect day - made even more so by the company of those who'd come to share it with him.

Everyone he loved was there. Doc, Isaac and Ace, the best possible trio of best men. All of them rolling their eyes at what he'd just asked them, while Doc gently gagged him with his hand.

"For the last time, kiddo... _yes_. Yes, we have _definitely_ got the ring."

"Hey, Doc? Maybe you need to sedate him."

"Don't tempt me."

"Or at least keep your hand there 'til we get to the beach."

"Yeah, I could do that too."

He knew Julie would be in the safest of hands too. Hopefully receiving more encouragement than these three clowns were giving him, her soon to be mother in law would be soothing away her nerves, while Judy, Emily, Jennifer and Vicki made sure their dresses looked as perfect as she did.

It was to his father, though, his _other_ father, that Gopher now turned for the more serious reassurance he needed. If anyone could soothe away these bridegroom's nerves, it was the man he'd always see as his Captain.

"You're doing fine, Gopher. Doing all of us so proud right now, and... just breathe, son. Just breathe, and enjoy the day you've both waited so long for. Now, if you're ready, I'll see you down there... all right?"

Answered with another deer in headlights nod, he couldn't resist making the same suggestion to Doc that Isaac had made just moments before.

"I don't know what you'll need first, Adam... that sedative, or smelling salts."

"I've come with both," Doc shot back, grinning too as he gave his would be patient a rallying pat on his back. "Come on, kiddo. Let's not keep your lady waiting. Just relax, Goph, and enjoy it. Trust me, it'll be over before you know it."

Ah, yes. Nothing like mentioning his waiting bride to get her groom - if still ever so slightly terrified - out of his room. Through crowds of cheering well-wishers, to that secluded cove that he and Julie had made their own.

Once there, Gopher's nerves thankfully started to lift. He'd wanted everything to be perfect, and - by God, it was!

His family, real and otherwise, were all there at his side. Beyond rows of chairs that led up to it, that white trellis arch was exactly what he and Julie had wanted. Decked with plumeria of every colour, it stood like a floral lighthouse against the ocean behind it.

There were no hurricanes around, either, so no chance of getting flattened again by any falling trees - its memory giving him just the release he needed, in a fit of helpless giggles.

Then he heard the first strains of the orchestra, turning instinctively to catch his first sight of her, and -

_"Wow_!"

If Isaac hadn't beaten him to it, he couldn't have said it better himself. And however teasingly Doc told him to do so, he really _did_ need to -

"Breathe, kiddo. _Breathe."_

With four weddings behind him - yeah, easy for _him_ to say. Instead, Gopher kept his spellbound eyes on the vision that now walked slowly towards him.

So proud, and excited, and everything else that he was feeling too, she looked... perfect. As perfect as every bride did on their wedding day, with a bit more perfect to spare.

On her Captain's arm, she'd never looked so happy. Even through her veil, he could see those perfect blue eyes shining back at him.

One more kiss for luck on her cheek, a heartening pat on the back for him, and it was finally time. As Merrill stepped back to join Doc, Isaac and Ace, this was_ their_ moment. And as they prepared to say their vows, it suddenly felt as if they were the only ones there.

For Gopher, too, this bittersweet moment came with its own surprise. What his mother had told her new daughter in law would be her 'something borrowed.' A poignant gift to him, to go with the new diamond earrings he'd bought for her. His old chief purser's uniform that she'd arranged for him, and the lei of blue flowers that hung around her neck.

Not just her gleaming gold ring, waiting to be blessed on top of that Bible, but his father's too. Little wonder, then, that most of what followed passed by through the tears in his eyes.

In the days to come, he'd remember more of what he'd missed in that blur of emotions. His mother, trying so hard not to cry so loud that she'd set him off too. How his little Chubs of a sister had grown into a beautiful woman in her own right.

How loud his voice sounded, even as it whispered those two priceless words.

"I - I do."

How, for reasons he didn't know yet, Julie's face just _glowed_. Her eyes, too, had never been brighter. Not even the best photos that Ace took of her could do them justice. In her finest, happiest hour, she had never looked more beautiful.

Julie, too, noticed things about him that she never had before. How perfectly that uniform still suited him, and how his cheeks dimpled when he _really_ smiled. Flecks of gold in those depthless brown eyes.

How a voice that could trip over itself in too much excitement could also be so quiet. Perfect for soothing all the Mini Smiths that both of them had already agreed they wanted.

A good thing to know, she thought, pressing her newly ringed hand against the top of a still flatly smooth stomach. A _very_ good thing to know.

Then, with the speed that Doc had warned him about, it was suddenly over. In his '_That's it_?' confusion, more of those priceless words almost passed him by.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me the greatest pleasure to present Mr and _Mrs_ Burl Smith. Burl, you may kiss your beautiful bride."

Almost. But not quite. To cheers of applause, that happiest of wedding traditions went on. And on. Through hours of happy practice, he'd perfected the ability to kiss and breathe at the same time.

With no need for encouragement, another followed. Not quite so long as the first, but still carrying so much love within it. So much hope, and promise for the future to come.

Then came the hugs. For several minutes, all they felt in turn were a succession of arms around them. And for the boy who'd hidden them so well until now, the tightest and longest came from his mother - giving him time to compose himself, and whisper still tearful thanks onto her shoulder.

"Thanks, mom... I - I just wish he'd been here..."

Just as she'd done when he was little, Roz pushed his hair straight, and said everything she needed to say to soothe away his pain.

"He is, Burl. He is. Every time you look at that ring, he'll be with you. And more than anything, sweetheart, he'd want you to be happy."

On what was, indeed, the happiest day of his life, Gopher nodded and smiled back at her, with eyes that were still bright, but now free of their tears. And just as Roz had hoped, his first dance with his lady soon brought a real smile back to his face.

Hers weren't the only eyes to watch them so proudly either. Just like Doc's and Isaac's, Merrill's were full of pride too, for the son and daughter than any father would be honoured to have. On the happiest day of their lives, he wasn't afraid to show it.

"How far he's come, Adam. Our boy has grown up in front of our eyes. And what a perfect husband he'll make for her too. The husband she truly deserves."

"He'll make one hell of a father too," Doc agreed, with just enough ambiguity to keep his oath of doctor/patient confidentiality intact.

Even so, it was a relief to see his Captain was still too distracted to hear him.

"That he will, and... oh, Adam. Could I be any prouder of him than I am right now?"

"Only if you grow an extra face to fit that grin on. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've booked this next dance with the bride."

Watching him tap his littlest brother's shoulder, Merrill grinned right across the only face he had. That playful rivalry had always been at its most entertaining when it involved a beautiful woman.

This time, though, the kid who'd always lost out finally had his girl. Only one of his closest friends was going to prise her away from him. And as Gopher stepped graciously aside, and went on to chat with his mother and Isaac, so Merrill noticed something that he hadn't. How discreetly his ship's infamous Lothario spoke to her, and the pure joy that lit up her face as she hugged him back.

From what he'd just said to him, the most joyous of pennies dropped. Even if he didn't know it yet, the boy who'd always seen him as a second father was going to become one himself. So yes, if just to himself, he could proudly agree with his closest friend.

"Yes, Adam. He surely will."

Ten months later, he had the photos to prove it. A whole parcel of them, to add to those that already filled the top of his dresser.

The favourites he'd chosen from their wedding, and the progress of Julie's pregnancy. The birth of their first child, and his utterly besotted parents. The priceless moment when a first time father had learned the hard way how _not_ to change his son's diaper.

He'd have it down pat for the next one, apparently. Or the third... maybe even the fourth, and... yes, more power to Julie for that. He'd barely managed to cope with one bundle of mischief and mayhem, let alone four.

Still imagining the chaos that a gaggle of mini Gophers would cause, he'd already found the ones he'd ask Ace to copy for the ship's noticeboard. Studies of father and son at work, rest and play.

With such a mischievous father, of course, it was mostly the latter. Swung high above his head, little Kai was loving 'fun time with daddy' as much as he was. In this moment of pure happiness, Merrill could almost hear their laughter.

Thinking back to the day when he'd confirmed her pregnancy, the smile widened. Yes, Adam had indeed been right. Gopher Smith really had been born to be a father.

Sharing its connection across thousands of miles of ocean, Julie McCoy-Smith ran her finger over the frame that held the same photo. Among countless others, it was one of her favourites.

Set beside it, she found another. New, exhausted father, crashed out on his couch, and peacefully sleeping son cradled against his chest.

Even at six weeks old, the resemblance between them was unmistakeable. All mops of dark hair and dimpled cheeks. And, she hoped in the next few months, those big brown eyes to match.

Putting it back on her husband's desk, she smiled even more at the scene in front of her. Tucked up asleep, they were adorable together - but even more so when they were wide awake, and sharing the joys of living in paradise.

Even when she joined him to enjoy it too, Julie knew this was still a private moment between father and son - and all the memories that came with it.

Kissing her forehead, then the rings on their hands, Gopher then tilted his son in his arms, so he could see what he now pointed at.

"You see all that blue out there, Kai? Like the colour your mom's eyes are? That's the ocean, where your name comes from. And you see that big white thing over there? That's called a ship, it's where your mom and your daddy used to work... just like his daddy did too... and if you eat up all your greens, like I had to do, then... well, if you're really, _really_ lucky, you'll grow up to love them as much as we did."

Rolling her eyes, Julie couldn't resist making a point that, it seemed, her nostalgically smitten husband had forgotten.

"Gopher, he's six weeks old... he can't see that far. And he's not even on solids yet, let alone peas and broccoli."

All good points, of course - but ones she knew he wouldn't fully agree with.

"Hey, peas and broccoli never did _me_ any harm. Though I'd have been happier if they'd made me grow a bit taller... and yeah, I might regret it if all our kids grow bigger than me. But it's a tradition, okay? That _all_ our kids are going to grow up with. Ships, and the sea, and lots of greens. It runs in the family."

Grinning back at her, he clearly thought he'd won this battle of wits and wills. He should have known better. The reply that she tossed so innocently back at him proved otherwise - and left him as speechless as the first time he'd stood on this balcony.

"Oh yes, I know... just like twins run in mine."


End file.
